Mixer



(No Model.) 2 Sheetsmsheet l.

T. A.. EDISON.

MIXER.

No. 605,668. Patented June 14,1898.

8 WMIIIHINMUUN INVENTOR I AToRNEYs .(No Model.) ZMSheets-Sheet 2.

T.' A. EDISON.

MIXER. N0. 605,668. Patented Junevll, 1898.

y 979,) of which the following is a specification.

' UNITED STATES',I

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF LLEWELLYN PARK, NEW JERSEY.

MIXER.

SPECIFICA TIGN' forming part of Letters Patent N0. 605,668, dated June14, 1898.

.t Application led June v29, 189:7.

To all whom t nuty concern: d

' Beit known that I, THoMAs A. EDISON, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Llewellyn Park, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mixers,(Case No.

I have foundgreat difficulty in securing a suitable apparatus for mixingconcentrated pulverized iron ore with a binding material preparatory tothe molding of the material into briquets. In order to use a minimumquantity of binding'material, it is necessary that an exceedinglythorough mixture should be obtained. The object of my invention is toproduce 'an apparatus suitable for thispurpose as well as for mixingmaterials of a similar nature.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of the mixing-trough, showing in'elevation two setsof the mixing devices. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the spreaders, and Fig. 4 is a viewof one of the plows.

The mixing-trough A is a horizontallyplaced sheet-metal circular troughopen at the top and at both ends. It is supported at the ends andA atone or more intermediate points by cast-iron inclosin g frames B. Cen-ytrally through the troghpasses a shaft C, supported at its ends, outsideof the trough, in suitable bearings. This shaft is driven at one end bya gear-wheel D, connected suitably with a source of power. At the endsand center of the shaft are secured cast-iron spiders E, upon which aresecurely bolted a number o f longitudinal bars F,'running parallel withthe shaft. Five of these bars are shown, but a greater orless number maybe employed. Bolted to the bars F throughout theirlength are asuccession of mixing spreaders and plows. The vspreaders-are curvedshoes G, having curved flat faceswhich rub on the inner surface of thetrough A. These shoes are pivoted to blocks H, which are clamped bykey-blocks dto the bars F. The spreaders arethrown outwardly by springsI, their outward movement being limited by the striking of the curvedendb of the shoe against the block I-I, so that when the shoe leaves thesurface of the trough its outward movement beyond the surface will belimited. The iuward movement of the spreaders is opposed by the springs.The inward movement permitted is so great with reference t0 thethickness of the material operated on that the springs are never whollycompressed. Hence a definite springpressureis obtained, and danger ofbreakage is avoided. The plows are flat plates, having curvedends whichdo not come in actual contact with the trough, these plates being set atan angle, as shown. The plows K are secured to the bars F by keyblocksl). The plows and spreaders are placed close together side by sidethroughout the length of the bars F, the plows on one bar being set sothat each will throw a ridge of material in the path of a spreader onthe next succeeding bar.

Vhilev only two sets of spreaders and plows are shown in Fig. 1, it willbe understood that the entirelength of the bars F is taken up by similarspreaders and plows.

The materials to be mixed being fed into the trough at one end and theshaft rotated the mixture will be gradually advanced t0- ward the otherend of the trough by the ac- 'tion of the plows. Each plow throws themixture into a ridge, and the succeeding spreader spreads out the ridgeand draws or kneads the mixture, producing an'intimate mixture ofthefmaterials and preventing'the balling of the mixture. The rate vofprogression of the mixture through the trough .is slow, and it issubjected many times .to the action` of the plows and spreaders. Indeedthe material may be passed through a series of these mixers insuccession.

To prevent the springing of the shaft C un'- der the great strain towhich it is subjected,

I provide a number of truss-rods L. These are bolted to blocks M,secured to the shaft Cnear its ends, but within the outside spiders E.The truss-rods L pass outwardly fromthe blocks M over arms c, projectingradially from the middle spider E.V

What I claim is-f 1. In a mixer, the combination of atrough, a shaftmounted longitudinally within the trough, a plurality ot' longitudinalbars supported by said shaft parallel therewith and IOO mixing devieesearried by said bars and Working Within the trough, substantially as setforth.

2. In a mixer, the combination of a trough, a shaft mounted within saidtrough, aplurality of longitudinal bars supported by the shaft paralleltherewith and a plurality of mixing deviees removably seeured to saidbars and adjustable longitudinally thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mixer, the Combination with the trough and the shaft, oflongitudinal bars supported by the shaft parallel therewith, and plowsand spreaders carried by the bars, substantially as set forth.

l. In a mixerthe combination of a trough, a shaft mounted longitudinallytherein, lon-

